Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
How a teacher greets students, takes care of logistics, and begins his or her lessons is CRUCIAL! During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you read in "Teach Like a Pirate."
I arrived at my middle school placement around 9:30 am and was met by my CT in the main office while I was in the process of signing in. As we walked together to her room, we discussed what had happened so far today; the 7th grade students are in the process of taking NECAP tests and, as a result, the schedule will be variable for the next couple weeks. We also talked about changes happening around the school. A new accelerated math class is being integrated into the curriculum, but problems with placing students at appropriate levels resulted in this week’s team meeting being mostly about how to change each of their students’ schedules appropriately without tracking them. When the meeting concluded, we met her first class of students waiting patiently at her classroom door. After unlocking the door, she stood in the hall outside her room greeting every student who was walking in, then closed the door behind her once the last student arrived. The class seemed to know the expected procedure and went directly to their seats and talked quietly amongst themselves as my CT was alternately collecting and returning homework. The period started at 10:16 and I would estimate within two minutes the class was at a manageable level without any teacher intervention; for this reason, getting all the “business” out of the way only extended another five minutes.
Once class actually began, my CT segued into a brief overview of the unit they had just completed. I was in the process of grading a set of tests two of her classes had completed yesterday. The unit was on classification of living things so the teacher had chosen a brief video for them to watch since this was a shortened block. In the video, students were being brought on a tour by King Phillip and learning how to classify organisms based on similarities and differences. Knowing young adolescents are prone to getting antsy and distracted, my CT had the class put away everything they had brought that day--even pencils and pens, so they would not be tempted to fool around. They all paid attention to the screen and my CT watched the video with them, occasionally adding input or asking questions to keep focus.
Overall, I would say my CT is very efficient at classroom management; it is still early in the year, but each of her class sections came in and acted responsibly without having to be told to do anything by a teacher. In their binders they each have a copy of the safety policy and grading scheme, and the classroom expectations were on a bright yellow poster in the front of the room. When a student asked if they could hand in a piece of homework late, the CT only had to remind him of the homework policy and he nodded saying, “yeah, it’s been two days I guess. The rule is one day for half credit…” Other students were in the same boat, but also accepted the rules without acting out or causing trouble. Having these clear expectations and procedures established early on in the year is key to creating an atmosphere where students feel as though they are being treated fairly and respectfully and know what they have to do to succeed. While the class taught today was not exceptionally exciting, like they strive for them to be in Teach Like a Pirate, my CT definitely engages her class. From the work on the walls, I could see she gives a lot of interesting projects and tries to vary her activities to keep interest high. She has a great rapport with students and was willing to cut out some instructional time (while being enthusiastically receptive) to talk with the class about higher education and what you can do with certain college degrees. My CT even integrates herself into class activities, like watching the video with the class, instead of leaving or doing paperwork, which I found to be a great thing. New things are being tried in her classroom to meet common standards, but in an applicable way: now all her students keep a year long science journal that will help them learn how to “do science” by stressing critical thinking and observational skills. They know how to make hypotheses and what steps scientists take in trying to find the answers to questions, and how to construct and defend arguments. They come in excited to learn. I am excited to learn as well.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
How a teacher greets students, takes care of logistics, and begins his or her lessons is CRUCIAL! During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engage students during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you read in "Teach Like a Pirate."I arrived at my middle school placement around 9:30 am and was met by my CT in the main office while I was in the process of signing in. As we walked together to her room, we discussed what had happened so far today; the 7th grade students are in the process of taking NECAP tests and, as a result, the schedule will be variable for the next couple weeks. We also talked about changes happening around the school. A new accelerated math class is being integrated into the curriculum, but problems with placing students at appropriate levels resulted in this week’s team meeting being mostly about how to change each of their students’ schedules appropriately without tracking them. When the meeting concluded, we met her first class of students waiting patiently at her classroom door. After unlocking the door, she stood in the hall outside her room greeting every student who was walking in, then closed the door behind her once the last student arrived. The class seemed to know the expected procedure and went directly to their seats and talked quietly amongst themselves as my CT was alternately collecting and returning homework. The period started at 10:16 and I would estimate within two minutes the class was at a manageable level without any teacher intervention; for this reason, getting all the “business” out of the way only extended another five minutes.
Once class actually began, my CT segued into a brief overview of the unit they had just completed. I was in the process of grading a set of tests two of her classes had completed yesterday. The unit was on classification of living things so the teacher had chosen a brief video for them to watch since this was a shortened block. In the video, students were being brought on a tour by King Phillip and learning how to classify organisms based on similarities and differences. Knowing young adolescents are prone to getting antsy and distracted, my CT had the class put away everything they had brought that day--even pencils and pens, so they would not be tempted to fool around. They all paid attention to the screen and my CT watched the video with them, occasionally adding input or asking questions to keep focus.
Overall, I would say my CT is very efficient at classroom management; it is still early in the year, but each of her class sections came in and acted responsibly without having to be told to do anything by a teacher. In their binders they each have a copy of the safety policy and grading scheme, and the classroom expectations were on a bright yellow poster in the front of the room. When a student asked if they could hand in a piece of homework late, the CT only had to remind him of the homework policy and he nodded saying, “yeah, it’s been two days I guess. The rule is one day for half credit…” Other students were in the same boat, but also accepted the rules without acting out or causing trouble. Having these clear expectations and procedures established early on in the year is key to creating an atmosphere where students feel as though they are being treated fairly and respectfully and know what they have to do to succeed. While the class taught today was not exceptionally exciting, like they strive for them to be in Teach Like a Pirate, my CT definitely engages her class. From the work on the walls, I could see she gives a lot of interesting projects and tries to vary her activities to keep interest high. She has a great rapport with students and was willing to cut out some instructional time (while being enthusiastically receptive) to talk with the class about higher education and what you can do with certain college degrees. My CT even integrates herself into class activities, like watching the video with the class, instead of leaving or doing paperwork, which I found to be a great thing. New things are being tried in her classroom to meet common standards, but in an applicable way: now all her students keep a year long science journal that will help them learn how to “do science” by stressing critical thinking and observational skills. They know how to make hypotheses and what steps scientists take in trying to find the answers to questions, and how to construct and defend arguments. They come in excited to learn. I am excited to learn as well.